Just like the last two exercises, Paloma dances with castanets. If you don't play castanets you can still learn the movement phrase.

Before we start, take a look at the video below to see the exercise demonstrated by Paloma.

What do you notice?

The rhythm is a 3 beat cycle

The castanets play with contratiempo

The speed is slower than the other exercises

The phrase has a feeling of swinging from side to side

The castanet rhythm also has a strong swing

The directions of the upper body and arms are very clear

What else would you add to this list?

Take a look at the gallery below to see a break down of the phrase at each beat. Remember, we've just called out the major movements of the arms and body. To study the exercise properly you'll need to watch the videos.

Here is a demonstration of the exercise from the front. Firstly at normal speed and then slowed down slightly.

From the back.

Before we come to the castanets, Paloma marks the exercise slowly.

Finally we have a demonstration of the castanet pattern.

Castanet pattern - click to enlarge

Here is the castanet pattern written out for easy reference.

You can click the image to make it bigger.

We hope you've enjoyed learning these exercises from Paloma. We're very thankful that we've been able to share them with you.